Ly Son island set to be given coastal town status

Ly Son island district in Quang Ngai province, central Vietnam will be granted coastal town status with a 150-hectare airport and a seaport to develop tourism and services, according to a plan until 2045.

The plan was mentioned in a decision approving the overall adjustment of the master plan on construction of the Dung Quat Economic Zone in Quang Ngai province to 2045, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha in late February.

Ly Son lies off the coast of Quang Ngai province with a history of marking the sovereignty of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago, and is a famous tourist destination. According to the new plan, 1,000 hectares of floating islands in Ly Son along with 500 hectares of new development space and water surface area will be part of the expanded Dung Quat Economic Zone.

On Ly Son island, a 153-hectare airport will also be built. This plan has been repeatedly proposed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and Quang Ngai province to develop infrastructure and exploit tourism potential, because currently the island can only be reached by sea.

Dung Quat Economic Zone was established by the Prime Minister in 2005 to create a driving force for economic development for Quang Ngai province and the central region, with Dung Quat Oil Refinery as foundation, which contributes 70-80% to the provincial budget.

The construction master plan for Dung Quat Economic Zone was approved in 2011. After more than 10 years of implementation, Quang Ngai proposed amendments because it was no longer suitable with its area to be increased by four times to 45,000 hectares.

In addition to focusing on the refinery, petrochemical and heavy industries, Dung Quat is oriented to be an important multi-sector for the country.